Talking Stage, Breakfast, and Other Nigerian Relationship Lingos You Should Know Early

Gone are the days when “toasting” meant standing outside her gate with a letter or staying awake to talk through the night on the phone. 

These days, love starts with a “wyd?” (What are you doing?) in the DMs, blossoms on WhatsApp, and sometimes dies quietly in blue ticks.

If you’ve ever been stuck in a situationship, ghosted after Netflix and chill, or confused by a cruise that turned into heartbreak, this article is your survival manual. Here’s your updated dictionary of Nigerian love terms you need to know early.

If you’ve been saying “good morning” to the same person for three months, sharing memes, and even low-key flirting, but still don’t know where you stand, congratulations, you’re in the talking stage.

The talking stage is that almost-but-not-yet phase between “we’re just chatting” and “we’re official”. It’s where both of you act like a couple without the title.

READ: 6 ways to keep your talking stage interesting.

One minute you’re texting every day, and the next, silence. You send, “Are you okay?” And the only reply you get is “seen”. That’s not the network, my dear. You’ve been ghosted!

Ghosting happens when someone cuts communication without warning. Maybe they lost interest. Maybe they met someone else. Maybe they just didn’t know how to say goodbye.

Either way, it hurts.

READ: How to Leave a Talking Stage Without Ghosting.

“Are we dating?” “Not really.” “Are we single?” “Also not really.” Welcome to the situationship.

This is when two people act like a couple, go on dates (maybe), call each other “babe”, but refuse to define the relationship. 

It sounds like “less pressure”, but truthfully, it’s emotional gymnastics.

READ: 5 Signs Your Situationship is Turning Into Something Serious.

To ‘chop breakfast’ is to be heartbroken, dumped, or rejected. When someone says they’ve “chopped breakfast”, it means love has dealt them a heavy blow. 

Maybe you thought you were in a talking stage that was heading somewhere, then boom, you see their pre-wedding photos online. Breakfast served, hot and spicy.

It’s funny until it happens to you. 

A soft launch is when you post your partner’s plate of food, hands, or shoes, but never their face, to protect your peace or avoid village people. 

A hard launch is the official reveal: full face, cute caption, and comments blowing up with “God when”.

READ: Therapy vs Talking to God: How Are People Finding Peace in a World That Won’t Chill?

Every Nigerian has heard, “Relax, it’s just cruise.”

'Cruise' means fun, banter, or flirting without emotional investment. You’re joking, teasing, maybe flirting, until the other person falls in love, and everywhere stew.

A red flag means danger: emotionally unavailable, inconsistent, or manipulative behaviour. A green flag means someone who communicates, listens, and cares. A yellow flag? Confusion.

READ ALSO: If you see these 5 signs, she’s a red flag.

Netflix and Chill is shorthand for genital meet and greet (intimate hangout). No one is watching movies.

Being in the friend zone is like being the referee. You’re on the field, but you can’t score. 

You’re supportive, sweet, and always there, yet they keep calling you “bestie” while you watch them date other people. 

READ ALSO: 10 Questions to Ask on a First Date in Nigeria.

Sometimes, Cupid’s hands get shaky, and he shoots three people at the same time. 

A love triangle is when three people are entangled in feelings, and usually, someone’s heart ends up broken. If you’re not sure who the main character is, you probably aren't.

To mark territory is to quietly show the world that “this person is mine”. It could be leaving your bonnet in his car, plastering them everywhere on social media, or commenting “mine” under their post. It’s cute until it becomes controlling.

To shoot your shot is to express your interest directly without shame or fear. 

From X (formerly Twitter) DMs to the comments, everyone’s trying their luck. The worst that can happen? “A hard NO.” 

If you’ve ever tagged along on a date where you weren’t needed, you were the third wheel.

You’re just there, eating your food quietly while the couple exchange eyes of affection. It’s not bad, but it’s definitely lonely.

Breadcrumbing is when someone gives you just enough attention to keep you hooked but never enough to move forward.

Backup is when someone keeps you as “plan B” while exploring other options. 

Shipping is when you strongly support two people as a couple and "ship" them together, hoping they start a relationship.

A one-night stand is a romantic or sexual encounter that begins and ends within the same night. There are no strings, no follow-up texts, just vibes and maybe regret in the morning. 

When one partner relocates abroad and the other stays in Nigeria, that’s Japa love. It's the long-distance struggle between time zones, trust issues, and network problems.

READ: How to Find Love When You Leave Nigeria.

A side-chick is the person you see when you already have someone else. It’s used casually, but seriously, it’s a messy business.

Being a side-chick comes with drama: coded dates, fake names on Truecaller, and sudden “network issues” when the main babe calls.

'Rizz' means charm or game. It is the ability to flirt smoothly and make people like you. Nigerians have adopted it with their own twist.

If someone says you’ve got “rizz”, it means your vibe, confidence, and delivery are effortlessly attractive. 

Modern Nigerian dating is full of slang, signals, and emotional shortcuts. But beneath the memes and chaos, everyone still wants the same thing — a real connection. Just make sure you understand the slang before you start catching feelings.